Parents get settlement after baby’s tragic cot death

Gideon Roseman and Esther Roseman at County Hall North in Horsham last December, where the inquest took place. Picture supplied by Tony Kershaw from South West News Service (SWNS)

Jennifer Logan

Published:16:05Monday 10 April 2017

The parents of baby Grace Roseman who was found dead in her cot at her home in Haywards Heath have been compensated.

Grace died in a £199 Bednest cot in April 2015. She was just seven weeks old.

Grace Roseman, who died at seven weeks old. Photo supplied by the family

Coroner Penelope Schofield recorded a verdict of accidental death after a three-day inquest in December last year.

She found Grace had died after lifting her head over the lip of a foldable side of the Bednest cot and she was unable to free herself from the edge of the cot and died as a result of asphyxia.

Grace’s parents, Esther and Gideon Roseman, have been given a settlement from Bednest and the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) who co-branded the product.

A spokesman from Bednest confirmed the amount ‘could not be disclosed’.

Grace Roseman with father Gideon. Photo contributed by Fieldfisher Lawyers

Grace’s mother, Esther, 39, said: “I am pleased that Bednest and NCT have finally admitted that they had no basis or evidence on which to make the allegations against our daughter Pearl and that they have finally apologised for this and for Grace’s death.”

NCT and Bednest released a statement confirming they had reached a settlement.

The statement said: “Both NCT and Bednest as organisations unreservedly apologise for their respective parts in the tragic death of Grace Roseman and have reached a settlement on a confidential basis with the Roseman family.

“NCT and Bednest would like to make it clear that no blame should be attached to any member of Grace’s family in relation to this tragic incident.”

Coroner Ms Schofield previously criticised Bednest for ‘lack of compassion’ and said there was ‘no evidence’ to support their suggestion that Grace’s sister Pearl, then a toddler of two, could have been involved in her death.

The bereaved parents had also been ‘very concerned’ that families could still easily buy the ’dangerous’ cot.

The coroner also said she was ‘very, very concerned’ about the number of cots still in circulation without vital safety modifications.

Jill Greenfield, who represented the parents at the time, previously said the coroner made clear her concern that Bednest did not appear to ‘accept the risk posed by its product’.

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